Friday, February 4, 2022

Blue Bayou (2021)

Jack and I really liked this story of a Korean adoptee raised in New Orleans but threatened with deportation, which would tear him away from his loving American wife and stepdaughter. Director/writer/star Justin Chon does a wonderful job in all three positions. Alicia Vikander and little Sydney Kowalske are also terrific. 

Chon was born in southern California to Korean parents and consulted with a number of adopted deportees while crafting the script, which has many rich elements.

Roger Suen's evocative soundtrack can be streamed on Apple Music and elsewhere and here's a list of songs.

Shot in New Orleans, it has earned cinematographers Ante Cheng and Matthew Chuang nominations for the Spirit Award for their work here.

Vikander was last blogged for The Danish Girl. The other filmmakers are all new to me, but Chon has a number of nominations and wins for some of his previous work.

I'm not sure why Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 74%, pledge so much less allegiance than its audiences at 93. We're with those audiences.

We watched it on January 21 as a streaming screener of Spirit Awards nominees, but it is available to rent on iTunes and other platforms.

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